Getting engaged in the City of Love and in what I consider the most beautiful city in the world was an absolute dream come true for me last week. Leaving my city this morning was bittersweet. I awoke to a beautiful view of l’Arc de Triumph from our hotel right off of the Champs Elysees and was then gifted a crisp morning run with Brandon through the Jardins des Tulieries, the Louvre, and alongside the Seine River. It was the ultimate triple threat for me, or rather, triple dip of goodness; all at one time I got to savor three loves of my life: Brandon, Paris and running.
Paris, I miss you already.
Our departure from Paris has been not as flawless as the rest of the trip, as will inevitably happen in life and in travel. The RER, the train service we needed to get to Charles de Gaulle Airport, was shut down, making our arrival there slightly more complicated and lengthy than originally anticipated. I am currently blogging from the Amsterdam Airport; I have been gifted an additional 4 hours on a layover than originally planned due to mechanical plane issues. Brandon and I are soaking up as much Dutch culture as one can in an airport and making the best of running on fumes of happiness that generously cover our exhaustion.
The whoas and inconveniences of travel are no different than the glitches in life we sometimes face. They are simply part of the journey. Not only that, they are the ultimate opportunity for our true appreciation for the small things to shine. Inconveniences and some of the frustrating, small details of life are workout opportunities for our attitudes. Take advantage of them and give thanks for them.
As for us, today I am full of gratitude. My 18-hour travel day home has provided the following (most of which I would have never gotten to experience had our travel plans run smoothly): a final taste of French kindness from the train station employees apologizing and handing out free bottled water and cookies, free bottled water and cookies, great luck in finding a cart to wheel our luggage through the miles of the Charles de Gaulle Airport, no long bathroom lines, the luxury of getting to spend four extra hours in Amsterdam, free wifi in Amsterdam, the pleasure of having the leisure to listen to a myriad of languages which are like music to my ears, and the idea of getting to board a plane that is mechanically safe and sound. Life is good, it’s all about perspective.